Kureha PGA LLC
(Temporary Address)
1116 Smith Street, Suite 205
Charleston, WV 25301
(304) 344-3417
· Kureha PGA LLC staff includes:
Mark Suzuki, President
Tom Provost, Plant Manager
Kat Momose, Vice President of Technology
Nori Kuga, Vice President of Finance
· Kureha PGA LLC broke ground April 7, 2008 for its new, high-performance polymer, Polyglycolic Acid (PGA), plant. The facility is located at the DuPont site in Belle, W. Va. Kureha PGA LLC is the 20th Japanese company to invest in West Virginia.
· This new polymer will be sold and distributed under the Kuredux™ trade name.
· The new plant is expected to begin polymer production in early 2010. The first phase of construction will create approximately 50 new jobs and generate more than $100 million in economic impact.
· Kureha PGA LLC has partnered with Shimizu NA and CH2M Hill, both of Atlanta, Ga., for engineering, procurement and construction management services. Approximately 250 site craft personnel are expected during peak construction. The design layout will allow for easy future expansion as market demand expands.
· Kureha PGA LLC has already teamed up with Workforce West Virginia to accept applications and hire its management team and full-time engineers. Recruitment of plant operators will begin in early 2009. Kureha PGA LLC is looking for skilled workers and will be paying good, family wages.
· Kuredux™ PGA is a high-strength polyester resin that offers an exceptional gas barrier to carbon dioxide and oxygen, with controllable hydrolysis. This unique combination of properties makes Kuredux™ PGA ideally suited for high-performance packaging and industrial applications.
· One targeted application for Kuredux™ PGA is multi-layer PET bottles for carbonated soft drinks and beer. Because Kuredux™ PGA offers a gas barrier 100 times greater than that of PET, it is possible to reduce the amount of PET used in these bottles by more than 20 percent, while maintaining the equivalent barrier against carbon dioxide loss. This bottle redesign has the potential of yielding cost reduction as well as source reduction opportunities in the marketplace.
· Kuredux™ PGA is compatible with widely practiced industrial PET recycling processes, ensuring the material does not interfere with the purity and quality of recycled PET.
· Kureha has dedicated significant R&D resources over the past 15 years to develop many unique and proprietary polymer and process technologies. Kureha holds, or has applied for, more than 30 key patents around PGA and will continue to aggressively innovate this technology.
· Kureha Corporation is a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals and plastics used in consumer packaging, household products, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and other industrial applications. Kureha was founded in 1944 starting with chlorine-based products such as chloro-benzene, insecticides and other industrial chemicals.
· During the 1950s, Kureha expanded its product line through the development of numerous chemical and resin products using original organic synthesis technologies.
· In the 1960s, Kureha took up the challenge of crude oil thermal cracking process. The technological expertise gained from this experience would become the catalyst for today’s growth of Kureha’s carbon business.
· In the 1980s and 90s, specialty products such as functional polymers, PVDF, PPS and agricultural fungicides were developed for Kureha’s strategic businesses, which were followed by consumer products including Krewrap for household products.
· Since 2000, Kureha has moved away from manufacturing commodity chemicals to become a specialty products business, concentrating specifically on key growth businesses, including advanced polymer products, pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals and high barrier packaging materials.
· Kureha focuses on the triple bottom line: economic, environmental and social responsibility. Kureha’s aim is to maximize value while remaining committed to environmental and compliance issues, and contribute to the local community as a responsible corporate citizen.
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